The Pleasure of Her Text: Feminist Readings of Biblical and Historical Texts (review)

Hebrew Sllldies 34 (1993) 101 Reviews "Author Index" is a useful tool for locating citations, yet the initial bibliographies (pp. xvi-xviii) are, for some reason, not indexed, so even if one uses the index, one is unaware of those first bibliographic citations. Even with the "Author Index," where there are almost fifty indexed references to G. R. Driver (p. 288), it becomes a time-consuming task to find the full citation for the reference on p. 193 which is not in the bibliography for that section (p. 189) nor in the initial bibliographies. Another type of difficulty is exemplified in the reference to Darr which occurs on pp. xxvii, yet the full bibliographic citation is found only on p. 271 and not in any of the previous bibliographies. As a reference tool, it is unfortunate that this volume (as well as the others in the series) does not have a more readily useable bibliographic format. Kelvin G. Friebel Canadian Theological Seminary Regina, Saskatchewan S4T OHB THE PLEASURE OF HER TEXT: FEMINIST READINGS OF BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL TEXTS. Alice Bach, ed. Pp. xii + 148. Philadephia: Trinity Press International, 1990. Paper. This publication reprints a volume of the Union Seminary Quarterly Review. The essays in it bring literary and historical methodologies grounded in critical feminist interpretation to bear on familiar historical and biblical texts. The authors share a recognition of the political dimensions of text writing and text interpretation. The book makes for fascinating reading as the reader discovers the differing perspectives that result from a sensitivity towards gender. While the three papers devoted to the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East undoubtedly will most interest readers of this journal, the other three essays, concerning issues of women and religion, provide much to engage the mind and suggest new avenues of inquiry into the biblical text. For that matter, the poem by Dory Previn, "did jesus have a baby sister?" which leads into the essays, though explicitly concerning Christianity, is a deadly serious yet highly imaginative introduction to gender both in society and in religion. It cleverly and effectively sets the tone for the articles that follow. In a very brief amount of space, Previn reveals how a male-centered world renders women invisible. The poem also exists in song form; I regularly use it in the classroom as a musical primer on feminist thinking. Hebrew Studies 34 (1993) 102 Reviews Editor Alice Bach begins the volume with an introduction that provides an ideological context for the essays as well as a summary of them. She rightly emphasizes the diversity of feminisms, reminding the reader that individuals do not all conform to one mold. Bach also contributes a chapter , "The Pleasure of Her Text," analyzing the story of Abigail (1 Samuel 25). Her reexamination of this familiar text reveals that Abigail, routinely labelled the stereotype of "the good wife" by modern interpreters, is viewed, from the perspective of the text, as an ambitious woman who deserves punishment for changing David's mind about killing her husband Nabal. From the point of view of the ancient author, Abigail's gift of prophecy appears as a threat to male power. This example of a woman's ability to exercise narrative voice can be found only when Abigail functions outside the household. Ultimately, however, the biblical text silences Abigail thereby limiting her power, making her a member of David's household after the death of her own husband Nabal. The text transforms her from agent of change into an object of change in order to teach women their proper place in Israelite society. In "Murder They Wrote: Ideology and the Manipulation of Female Presence in Biblical Narrative," J. Cheryl Exum investigates two "victims of literary murder." Exum understands their deaths as being expressions of male perspectives on behavior appropriate for women. In the first example, Jephthah's daughter dies through sacrifice, accepting the fate brought on by her father's vow, whereas in the second example, Michal loses her life, namely, her narrative presence, because she speaks out against a man, her husband King David. Both stories teach that a woman should submit to a man's authority, whether it be the authority...